In a statement, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "Firefighters were called to a fire on land off Regent Street in Ellesmere Port. On arrival crews discovered it was an electrical fault which was affecting power supply to nearby houses. The electrical supply company is at the scene to isolate the power."

A spokeswoman for SP Networks, who manage the electrical supply in the area, said: "We apologise for the inconvenience caused by this underground cable fault. Our excavation team are on site and it shouldn't be too much longer before supplies are restored."